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6 8 T H A N N U A L R E P O R T July 1 , 2018 – June 30, 2019
AN
IMA
L W
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FA
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INST
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WHO WE ARESince 1951, the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI), a nonprofit charitable
organization, has been alleviating suffering inflicted on animals by humans.
+ abolish factory farms, support high-welfare family farms, and eliminate inhumane slaughter methods for animals raised for food;
+ end the use of steel-jaw leghold traps and reform other brutal methods of capturing and killing wildlife;
+ improve the housing and handling of animals in research, and encourage the development and implementation of alternatives to experimentation on live animals;
+ preserve species threatened with extinction, and protect wildlife from harmful exploitation and destruction of critical habitat;
+ protect companion animals from cruelty and violence, including suffering associated with inhumane conditions in the pet industry; and
+ prevent injury and death of animals caused by harsh transport conditions.
OUR AIMSThrough engagement with policymakers, scientists, industry, and the
public, AWI seeks to
INSIDE3 Marine Animals / 7 Humane Education / 9 Farm Animals / 13 Wildlife
17 Companion Animals / 23 Animals in Laboratories / 27 Government Affairs
31 AWI Quarterly / 37 Speeches + Meetings / 41 Financials
AWI works around the globe
to prevent inhumane and
ecologically harmful commercial
exploitation of marine
species and destruction and
degradation of their habitats.
3
C O M M E R C I A L W H A L I N G
In September 2018, AWI’s D.J. Schubert, Sue Fisher, and
Kate O’Connell participated in the 67th meeting of the
International Whaling Commission (IWC67) in Florianópolis,
Brazil. In advance of IWC67, AWI and international partner
organizations produced two key reports. The first, Small
Cetaceans, Big Problems, is a detailed accounting of the
more than 100,000 dolphins, porpoises, and small whales
slaughtered each year in hunts—often illegally. AWI and
allies are calling on the IWC to assume a greater role in the
protection of small cetaceans.
The second, Commercial Whaling: Unsustainable,
Inhumane, Unnecessary, provides an unvarnished
appraisal of the whaling conducted by Iceland, Japan, and
Norway in defiance of the commercial whaling moratorium
in place since 1986. This report was of particular
importance this year, as Japan planned to use its position
as IWC67 chair to push an agenda aimed at changing
voting rules in order to lift the moratorium.
Thankfully, Japan’s effort to turn back the clock failed.
But this meeting would prove to be a breaking point: In
late December, Japan announced it would leave the IWC,
effective June 30, 2019, and resume commercial whaling
within its territorial waters and exclusive economic zone,
while ending its dubious and highly commercial “scientific”
whaling program in international waters.
In the end, several AWI-supported conservation
resolutions were adopted at IWC67, including the
Florianópolis Declaration—a strong statement of intent
to maintain the moratorium and support conservation
efforts. We were particularly involved in the adoption of
another important resolution that recognizes the valuable
ecological services that cetaceans provide to the marine
ecosystem and which endorses further research on this
role. The IWC also agreed to support the strategic plan of
the Bycatch Mitigation Initiative, which aims to prevent
cetacean bycatch, which kills more than 300,000 whales,
dolphins, and porpoises each year.
Japanese whaling was thrust into the spotlight again
in October, during the 70th meeting of the Standing
Committee of the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), in
Sochi, Russia. In an unprecedented reprimand, the CITES
Standing Committee declared that Japan’s hunt of sei
whales on the high seas and introduction of the carcasses
into Japan amounted to illegal international trade of a
CITES Appendix I–listed species. Prior to the meeting,
AWI led a coalition of animal protection and conservation
groups that provided legal analysis to the committee
concerning the issue. Eighteen countries represented
on the committee accepted our conclusions, with Russia
as the lone dissenter. Consequently, Japan must restore
compliance with CITES or face trade sanctions.
C A P T I V E M A R I N E M A M M A L S
In March 2019, AWI and World Animal Protection
published the 5th edition of The Case Against Marine
Mammals in Captivity. This 156-page report, co-authored
by AWI’s Dr. Naomi Rose, lays out in comprehensive detail
the compelling scientific arguments against the practice
of holding cetaceans and other marine mammal species
in small concrete enclosures for entertainment purposes.
The 5th edition, redesigned by AWI’s Alexandra Alberg, is a
substantial expansion over the previous edition published
a decade earlier, adding a wealth of new scientific data
and addressing the enormous change in societal attitudes,
government policy, and the industry concerning marine
mammal captivity in the wake of the 2013 film Blackfish.
4
Another major report, the 2nd edition of Ocean Theme
Parks: A Look Inside China’s Growing Captive Cetacean
Industry, was published in June 2019 by the China
Cetacean Alliance (CCA), an AWI-cofounded coalition
of international and Chinese organizations. This 89-
page report—also co-written by Naomi and designed by
Alexandra for the CCA—was published in both English
and Chinese and addresses the alarming rise of captive
cetacean facilities in China and their poor animal welfare
conditions. In connection with the publication, Naomi
traveled to China in June 2019 on behalf of the CCA
to observe conditions for the animals at marine theme
parks in Shanghai and Zhuhai and give presentations in
Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong.
Hundreds of individuals attended the presentations and
tens of thousands more viewed them via live streaming.
In June 2019, AWI celebrated the passage of trailblazing
laws in Canada and Ecuador that we helped bring about
to protect cetaceans from capture and captivity (see
Government Affairs section).
V A Q U I T A
Gillnet fishing in Mexico’s Upper Gulf of California
ensnares vaquita as bycatch and has all but wiped out the
species. AWI and others have been pressing Mexico to
immediately ban gillnets in vaquita habitat for the species
to have any chance at avoiding imminent extinction. In
July 2018, the US Court of International Trade, in response
to a lawsuit AWI and co-plaintiffs filed in March, ruled
that the fish and fish product import provisions of the
Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) require a ban
on seafood imports from foreign fisheries that kill marine
mammals in excess of what is allowed under US standards.
The court therefore ordered the US government to
ban gillnet-caught seafood imports from Mexico. In
November, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal
Circuit upheld that ruling and kept the ban in place. Apart
from adding economic pressure on Mexico to act more
decisively to save the vaquita, this precedent-setting
decision will strengthen the ability of AWI and other
animal advocates to use the MMPA to mitigate marine
mammal bycatch around the world.
M A R I N E H A B I T A T
In June 2019, AWI’s Susan Millward and AWI
representative Courtney Vail participated in a series
of UN Caribbean Programme meetings in Roatán,
Honduras, aimed at protecting marine habitat in
the Caribbean. These included the 15th Meeting of
Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention, the 18th
Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action Plan for the
Caribbean Environment Programme, and the 10th Meeting
of Contracting Parties to the Specially Protected Areas
and Wildlife (SPAW) Protocol. AWI sounded the alarm on
marine mammal hunts by member countries that blatantly
violate the SPAW Protocol, leading the body to formally
issue a call for compliance.
Susan and Courtney also used the gathering as an
opportunity to further AWI’s work—in partnership with
representatives from CITES, the United Nations, and the
US departments of State, the Interior, and Commerce—to
establish the Caribbean Wildlife Enforcement Network
(CaribWEN). Similar networks exist in Southeast Asia,
Central America, Africa, and the European Union,
and once CaribWEN is established, it will bolster
enforcement, investigations, and public education—all of
which will greatly enhance efforts to curb illegal wildlife
trade in the region.
5
6
AWI encourages teachers
and educators to incorporate
animal-friendly science
education into their lessons and
teach respect for rather than
exploitation of animals.
7
S A V E A L L S P E C I E S C A M P A I G N
Last year, AWI partnered with HarperCollins Children’s
Books to produce educational materials on endangered
species. The partnership coincided with the launch of
Newbery Medal–winning author Katherine Applegate’s
Endling series of children’s novels, which address issues
of extinction.
This spring, the second book in the series, Endling #2: The
First, was published, and we partnered once again with
HarperCollins to launch the “Save All Species” campaign.
The campaign called upon kids to take action to help
protect endangered species and support the Endangered
Species Act. Students were encouraged to draw a picture
of the endangered species that matters most to them
and to comment about the importance of that species.
Hundreds of middle school students participated in the
sweepstakes, with a winning classroom selected from a
random drawing. The winners were presented with a set of
both Endling books for every child in the classroom and an
in-class Skype interview with the author.
A V O I C E F O R A N I M A L S C O N T E S T
Our call for entries to the 2019 “A Voice for Animals”
contest, held yearly in cooperation with the Humane
Education Network, yielded nearly 500 submissions from
middle and high school students in the United States
and abroad. The contest, now in its 29th year, provides
young people with an opportunity to raise awareness
about animal welfare issues they care deeply about and
to offer solutions—in many cases, highlighting what they
themselves are doing to help make animal lives better.
The winning entries covered a range of animal welfare
issues, including the protection of wild species such as
the piping plover and the little brown bat, helping shelter
dogs and cats find homes, ending inhumane experiments
on animals in classrooms, and preventing plastic pollution
in the ocean.
S C I E N C E C U R R I C U L A
To encourage animal-friendly science teaching, AWI
maintains a presence at the Science Teachers Association
of Texas and the National Science Teachers Association
annual conferences. Hosting booths at these events is
an effective means to connect with teachers to discuss
alternatives to dissection and ways to promote respect for
all living things. AWI’s free educational materials and eye-
catching endangered species poster, produced last year in
connection with our HarperCollins partnership, continue
to be a popular draw for teachers of all grade levels.
C L A S S R O O M O U T R E A C H
Every year, AWI staff members give presentations on
animal welfare issues to universities across the country
and provide educational materials to universities and high
schools. This year, AWI also took the opportunity to visit
younger children in the classroom to share our message. At
a community day held by Meridian Public Charter School in
Washington, DC, AWI’s Regina Terlau-Benford and Brittany
Bailey participated in story time for several classes of pre-K
students, reading aloud from one of AWI’s illustrated books
for children on compassion toward animals. In Richmond,
Virginia, Regina engaged with members of Pocahontas
Middle School’s Promoting & Protecting Animals through
Compassion and Kindness (PACK) club regarding the
Endangered Species Act’s importance, local species at risk,
and steps they can take in their everyday lives to make a
positive impact for these animals.
8
AWI seeks an end to cruel
methods of housing, handling,
transporting, and slaughtering
farm animals. We promote
pasture-based farming systems
that allow animals to express
natural behaviors, as an
alternative to factory farming.
9
P R O T E C T I N G A N I M A L S O N T H E F A R M
In October 2018, AWI released Barn Fires: A Deadly Threat
to Farm Animals, a first-of-its-kind report that quantifies
farm animal losses from barn fires across the country. We
scoured nationwide media reports covering the five-year
period from 2013 through 2017, and compiled the statistics
to reveal that more than 2.7 million US farm animals
perished in potentially preventable barn fires during that
time. Issued in advance of National Fire Prevention Week,
the report explores where and why these fires occurred
and how such fires could be prevented in the future. AWI,
as the lone animal welfare group serving on the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Technical Committee
on Animal Housing Facilities, is formally requesting that
safety measures be added to the national animal housing
code to reduce the likelihood that farm animals will suffer
and die horribly in barn fires.
To further increase public awareness of this issue, we
released a barn fire tracker on our website in January 2019
that provides up-to-date information on the number of
animals killed in barn fires, broken down by species and by
state where such fires occur. We also did media outreach
and conducted interviews with local journalists when
large incidents occurred, such as the devastating fire at
Herbruck’s Poultry in Michigan in April 2019 that caused
the deaths of a quarter million chickens.
When the US Department of Agriculture proposed
requiring much larger brands on cattle imported from
Mexico, AWI strongly objected, urging the department to
do away with hot-iron branding altogether. We encouraged
the USDA to prioritize the development of alternatives
to branding, including electronic animal identification,
which not only results in far less pain and distress, but can
also facilitate rapid trace back of animals in the event of a
disease outbreak. The USDA ultimately elected to proceed
with the enlarged brand proposal, but announced $1 million
in funding to support the implementation of electronic
identification for cattle—a promising development for
ending such branding in the future.
In recent years, several undercover investigations have
exposed widespread abuse and neglect of calves and
mature cattle at dairy production operations across the
United States. In spring 2019, we submitted comprehensive
comments to the National Milk Producers Federation on
the next version of its animal care standards, recommending
that calves be housed in pairs or groups as soon as possible,
electric prodding devices never be used on calves, and all
dairy cattle have regular access to the outdoors.
Every year, millions of farm animals die as a result of
natural disasters. Under the USDA’s Livestock Indemnity
Program, producers may receive indemnity payments for
livestock deaths regardless of whether any precautionary
measures were taken to protect animals from death or
injury during foreseeable natural disasters. In late 2018,
following the deaths of more than 5 million animals in
the aftermath of hurricanes Florence and Michael, AWI
urged the USDA to modify its reimbursement practices
to require that producers show evidence of a disaster
preparedness plan prior to payment for animal losses. In
addition, AWI staff lobbied Congress to pass measures
making disaster preparedness plans a required element of
the indemnity program.
AWI also works to prevent or reduce the suffering of
animals during disease outbreaks. In January 2017, the
American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) released
draft guidelines for the mass euthanasia of animals during
major disease outbreaks such as avian influenza (“bird
10
flu”). The draft guidelines would have allowed for several
blatantly inhumane killing methods, including live burial and
shutting off the ventilation in animal housing structures. We
consulted with animal welfare scientists on the proposal and
lobbied the AVMA to substitute more humane, effective
alternatives. The final guidelines released by the AVMA
in April 2019 continue to allow for the use of ventilation
shutdown but, in a welcome reversal, eliminate live burial as
an acceptable method.
R E F O R M I N G D E C E P T I V E F O O D L A B E L I N G P R A C T I C E S
AWI continues to pressure the USDA and the food
industry to reduce deceptive labeling practices and
thereby help consumers support truly higher welfare
farming operations. To achieve this goal, we investigate
label claims and the USDA’s oversight of this process and,
when possible, challenge deceptive and misleading claims
and advocate for policies to promote truth in labeling on
animal products.
In November 2018, AWI filed a lawsuit to force the USDA
to respond to a rulemaking petition we submitted four
and a half years earlier. The petition asked the USDA
to require producers to use third-party certification
programs to substantiate holistic animal raising claims
such as “humane” and “sustainable” on meat and poultry
packages. After we filed the lawsuit, the USDA finally
responded to the petition but declined to engage in
rulemaking. In its denial, the department cited the fact
that producers and individuals have different definitions
for animal-raising claims as one of the reasons it could not
require third-party certification. This logic is baffling, as it is
the USDA’s duty to promote consistency in the definitions
of animal-raising claims, thereby ensuring misleading
labels are not used on meat and poultry packages.
In the spring, AWI challenged before the National
Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better
Business Bureaus a pork producer’s use of the claim
“ethically raised” on its product packaging, despite raising
the pigs using conventional industry practices. Following
the close of the fiscal year, the NAD recommended that
the company remove the claim from its packaging.
F I G H T I N G I N H U M A N E S L A U G H T E R
On August 23, 2018, AWI and Farm Sanctuary sued the
USDA for failing to adequately respond to a Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA) request regarding proactive
disclosure of slaughter records, based on a 2016
amendment to FOIA that requires federal agencies to
proactively post records that are subject to frequent
requests. We review over a thousand of these records
annually to expose inhumane treatment of animals at
slaughter plants and monitor the USDA’s enforcement of
humane slaughter laws—but we often have to wait months
or even years for disclosure. The lawsuit seeks to ensure
more timely and complete access to these records.
The USDA recently finalized a new waiver system whereby
bird slaughter plants can apply to increase their line
speed to 175 birds per minute. In our public comments,
we opposed the proposal, given its potential to increase
incidents of inhumane handling, and asked the USDA
to at least require that processors comply with good
commercial practices (GCP)—normally a voluntary set
of standards concerning humane handling of birds at
slaughter. In September, the USDA essentially adopted this
recommendation: Now, to receive a waiver, a plant must
have no violations of GCP in the preceding 120 days—a
strong incentive to maintain proper handling procedures.
11
12
AWI seeks to reduce the
detrimental impacts of human
activities on wild animals. We
work to strengthen national
and international wildlife
protection and foster humane,
nonlethal solutions to conflicts
with wildlife.
13
R E D W O L V E S
In November 2018, AWI and co-plaintiffs won a
significant legal victory on behalf of red wolves when a
federal court ruled that the US Fish and Wildlife Service
violated the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the
National Environmental Policy Act by failing to protect
the world’s only wild population of the animals, who
live in eastern North Carolina. We filed this lawsuit in
2015 to prevent the USFWS from bowing to political
pressure and sabotaging its previously successful Red
Wolf Recovery Program. In connection with the ruling,
the court made permanent a 2016 preliminary injunction
we won that bars the USFWS from killing, harassing,
or harming red wolves, either directly or by authorizing
landowners to do so, without first demonstrating that the
targeted wolves actually pose a threat.
The USFWS argued unsuccessfully that the court could not
properly adjudicate our claims because of a new rule that
the agency is trying to push through that would undermine
red wolf recovery even more drastically. This rule, proposed
in July 2018, would reduce the existing five-county red
wolf recovery area by 90 percent, to an area within a single
county that could support fewer than 15 wolves. It would
also eliminate protections for any wolves who left the area,
such that any wolves on private and state lands could be
shot without consequence. If the USFWS ignores the
court’s clear mandate to protect wolves and proceeds to
finalize this rule, AWI will return to court to challenge it.
W I L D H O R S E S
The Bureau of Land Management is obligated to
manage and protect wild horses and burros on BLM
land in accordance with the Wild Free-Roaming Horses
and Burros Act of 1971, which states that such equines
are “an integral part of the natural system of the public
lands” and thus are to be “protected from capture,
branding, harassment, or death.” The BLM, however, has
long pursued a policy of keeping wild horse and burro
populations artificially low on the range in order to serve
the interests of the ranching industry.
Throughout this year, the BLM pushed to conduct
gruesome sterilization experiments on wild mares to
study the risks and complications (including mortality) of
ovariectomy via colpotomy—a procedure in which a metal
rod is inserted through an incision in the vaginal wall to
sever the ovaries while the animal remains conscious.
The BLM is pursuing these experiments even though the
National Academy of Sciences warned the agency against
it due to the risks of trauma and infection.
AWI and allies raised a significant public outcry that
helped convince two major university research institutions
to pull out of the project. We also went to court and, in
November 2018, secured a preliminary injunction to block
the BLM from proceeding. Despite this, and despite being
thwarted in three previous attempts, the BLM announced
in May of 2019 that the agency once again planned to
perform the surgeries. AWI helped obtain sign-ons to a
bipartisan letter from members of Congress to Interior
Secretary Bernhardt denouncing the BLM’s proposal
and calling for the agency to instead implement humane,
scientifically supported, and cost-effective fertility control
options such as immunocontraceptive vaccinations. As of
year’s end, the experiments had not gone forward.
AWI is also fighting an unconscionable plan put forth this
year by the US Forest Service to round up USFS-managed
wild horses and make them available for slaughter. (For
more on our efforts to block this through legislation, see
the Government Affairs section.)
14
C R U E L T R A P P I N G
Around the globe, steel-jaw traps and snares are
responsible for the suffering and painful deaths of many
millions of wild animals every year. Despite the severe
trauma caused by such devices, and the widespread
opposition to their continued use, there has been until
now no global network intent upon addressing their use in
wildlife habitats.
To correct this shortcoming, AWI this year launched an
ambitious program: the Partnership Against Cruel Traps
and Snares (PACTS), an international collaboration among
government wildlife agencies and wildlife advocacy
groups, to be coordinated by AWI’s Dr. Bill Clark. An
initial goal of PACTS will be to assist wildlife managers
around the globe in thwarting the use of these devices by
poachers. To that end, PACTS will facilitate the sharing of
information among wildlife agencies concerning proven
methods and emerging technologies for locating and
disarming traps and snares.
W I L D L I F E S E R V I C E S
In California, the USDA’s Wildlife Services program
annually kills thousands upon thousands of animals—
including black bears, coyotes, mountain lions, muskrats,
and multiple bird species—using indiscriminate traps,
snares, and poisons and without assessing the ecological
damage. In recent years, through education and legal
action, AWI and allies have persuaded a number of
California counties to end their association with Wildlife
Services and investigate nonlethal alternatives to address
human-wildlife conflicts. This year, we chalked up two
more victories: Officials in Shasta and Siskiyou counties
announced in July and August 2018, respectively, that
they were suspending wildlife management contracts
with the program.
C H R I S T I N E S T E V E N S W I L D L I F E A W A R D S
Seven individuals received AWI’s Christine Stevens Wildlife
Awards this year. Established in 2006 and named in honor
of AWI’s late founder and long-time president, the award
provides grants of up to $15,000 to help develop humane
methods of resolving conflicts between wild animals and
humans, as well as less intrusive wildlife study techniques.
This year’s Christine Stevens Wildlife Award winners:
+ Dr. James Anderson of West Virginia University for
developing noninvasive genetic and environmental
DNA methods for monitoring salamander distribution
+ Stacy Cotey of Michigan Tech University for analyzing
tracks left by northern river otters to monitor
behaviors, population numbers, and genetic diversity
+ Dr. Maureen Murray of the Tufts University Wildlife
Clinic for determining accurate methods of screening
red-tailed hawks to document exposure to dangerous
anticoagulant rodenticides
+ Dr. Susan Parks of Syracuse University for using
noninvasive digital acoustic tags to quantify and
evaluate close encounters between Florida manatees
and boats
+ Christine Proctor of Harrisburg University of
Science and Technology for using drones to capture
thermal images of threatened eastern massasauga
rattlesnakes to better evaluate the population
+ Dr. Tracey Tuberville of the University of Georgia for
studying the dispersal, health, and survival of formerly
captive gopher tortoises to determine whether they
can be released into the wild
+ Dr. Andrew Von Duyke of the North Slope Borough
Department of Wildlife Management for monitoring
polar bears of the Alaska-Chukotka subpopulation by
sampling environmental DNA from snow tracks
15
16
AWI promotes strong
enforcement of laws to protect
companion animals. We
develop resources to help law
enforcement officials prosecute
animal abusers and help social
service agencies address the
relationship between animal
cruelty and family violence.
17
A N I M A L A B U S E + I N T E R P E R S O N A L V I O L E N C E
AWI continued our work to foster awareness of the link
between animal abuse and interpersonal violence, thus
helping to facilitate coordinated responses and timely
interventions to better protect both people and animals.
In October 2018, AWI’s Dr. Mary Lou Randour and Nancy
Blaney gave a presentation entitled “The Relationship
Between Animal Cruelty and Violence Prevention and
Reduction” for the International Criminology Conference
in Washington, DC. In February, AWI hosted a meeting
for key policy leaders, researchers in the field of pet abuse
and domestic violence, and representatives from domestic
violence advocacy groups to discuss next steps for
research in the field and how to use that research to shape
policy and programs. Nancy and Mary Lou also authored,
along with three others, an article that was published in the
May 2019 edition of the journal Trauma, Violence, & Abuse
entitled “Animal Abuse as a Type of Trauma: Lessons for
Human and Animal Service Professionals.”
In March 2019, AWI sponsored workshops in Cleveland,
Columbus, and Toledo, Ohio, on “Cross Reporting for
Humane and Human Services: A Species-Spanning
Approach to Safer Families and Communities.” These
daylong programs drew social workers, humane agents,
veterinarians, police, sheriffs, and prosecutors to discuss
the relationship between animal abuse and interpersonal
violence and the importance of cross reporting. The
workshops described research, new strategies, public
policy responses, and programs to prevent and respond to
family violence and animal abuse. Following the workshops,
many of the participants indicated a commitment to
incorporating the new information into their practice and
helping to launch the multidisciplinary teams needed to
facilitate cross reporting and cross training.
In September 2018, AWI published Representing
Domestic Violence Survivors with Pets in Ohio: A Manual
for Domestic Violence Attorneys & Advocates Helping
Survivors Obtain Protection Orders. The manual is the
latest in a series that AWI is producing for states across the
country to enable attorneys and advocates to better assist
pet-owning domestic violence survivors. The manuals
summarize the state-specific laws regarding protection
orders, offer step-by-step instructions on how to include
pets on such orders, and provide guidance on where
to go for additional help. AWI also continues to update
and expand its Safe Havens Mapping Project for Pets of
Domestic Violence Victims—a nationwide directory of
sheltering services that assist victims of domestic violence
in placing their beloved companion animals out of harm’s
way as they seek safety for themselves.
A N I M A L C R U E L T Y C R I M E S A N D E N F O R C E M E N T
AWI works closely with the law enforcement community
to address animal cruelty crimes. In March 2019, AWI once
again sponsored the annual meeting of the Association
of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) Animal Cruelty Advisory
Council, in Washington, DC. Nancy Blaney continues to
serve as co-chair of the council, which plans the Animal
Cruelty Prosecution Conference—the primary training
event each year for prosecutors, law enforcement
and animal control officers, veterinarians, and related
disciplines to address crimes against animals.
This year, Nancy joined the newly formed Animal
Cruelty and Abuse Committee of the National Sheriffs’
Association (NSA) and the National Animal Care and
Control Association’s Training Advisory Board. The first
meeting of the Animal Cruelty and Abuse Committee
took place in February 2019 at the NSA’s Winter
18
19
Conference in Washington, DC. At this meeting, Mary
Lou Randour gave a presentation on the importance of
reporting animal cruelty crimes to the Federal Bureau
of Investigation through the National Incident-Based
Reporting System, or “NIBRS.” (For more on reporting
animal cruelty crimes through NIBRIS, see The Schweitzer
Medal section below.)
T H E S C H W E I T Z E R M E D A L
In 1951, Dr. Albert Schweitzer gave AWI permission to
create a medal bearing his name and honoring his legacy,
to be presented for outstanding achievement in the
advancement of animal welfare. Since its inception, the
Schweitzer Medal has been awarded to 47 individuals,
including members of Congress, foreign presidents and
dignitaries, law enforcement officials, reporters, and
scientists. On March 7, 2019, AWI awarded the Schweitzer
Medal to John Thompson in acknowledgment of his
extraordinary efforts to increase law enforcement’s
recognition of animal cruelty as a crime of violence and its
response to those crimes.
Thompson has had a long and storied career in law
enforcement. He spent 14 years in the US Army as
a military police officer, canine handler, and military
intelligence officer, and later served as chief of police
for Mount Rainier, Maryland, assistant sheriff of Prince
George’s County, Maryland, deputy executive director
and chief operating officer of the National Sheriffs’
Association, and chair of the Department of Homeland
Security Emergency Services Sector Coordinating Council.
Thompson claims his epiphany regarding animal cruelty
crimes, after many years in law enforcement, came when
his daughter wrote an article on the link between animal
abuse and other violent behavior.
Thompson worked with AWI to convince the FBI in 2014
to add animal cruelty crimes as a distinct category in the
National Incident-Based Reporting System. Thompson
was a longtime member of the FBI’s Criminal Justice
Information Services Advisory Policy Board, and his
advocacy for this key policy change proved to be the
tipping point. The FBI formally began collecting such data
in 2016. Since then, Thompson and AWI have worked
with law enforcement officials around the country to help
them report this vital data, which helps policymakers
better understand the scope and nature of animal cruelty
crimes (including their link to other criminal activity) and
formulate effective responses. Thompson also helped
convince the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
to consider animal abuse as an important data element in
the National Violent Death Reporting System.
In January 2019, Thompson became executive director
of the National Animal Care and Control Association,
which seeks to strengthen the animal care and control
profession through training, networking, and advocacy.
Prior to this, he helped found the National Coalition on
Violence Against Animals—a multidisciplinary coalition of
local, state, and national organizations that seeks to reduce
violence against animals and raise awareness of its link to
human violence. He also helped found the NSA’s National
Law Enforcement Center on Animal Abuse, which assists
officers in understanding and enforcing animal cruelty laws.
He helped develop an app for law enforcement to access
state cruelty laws and other resources, as well as a training
curriculum on nonlethal responses to dog encounters.
AWI is grateful to John Thompson for all his work on behalf
of animals, and pleased to make him the latest recipient of
the Schweitzer Medal.
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21
Even as AWI worked to expand protections for animals
this year, we had to devote significant energy to
preventing the wholesale demolition of existing federal
laws, regulations, and policies that benefit animals.
Among the laws hit especially hard by the current
administration are the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and
the Horse Protection Act (HPA). To an unprecedented
degree, private industry is being protected from the law
rather than animals being protected by the law.
AWI played a significant role in passage of the AWA in
1966 and the HPA in 1970. The AWA sets modest but
vitally important care standards for animals used by
the following industries: breeders, dealers, exhibitors,
research, handlers, and carriers. The HPA was passed to
stop the brutal practice of intentionally inflicting pain on
the front legs of Tennessee walking horses and similar
breeds to produce an exaggerated high-stepping gait
prized at competitions. Enforcement of these two laws is
the responsibility of the US Department of Agriculture’s
Animal Care unit.
Since February 2017, Washington Post reporter Karin
Brulliard has been using key information supplied by
AWI to expose Animal Care’s gutting of inspections
and enforcement—the heart of the AWA. Her article of
October 18, 2018, “USDA’s enforcement of animal welfare
laws plummeted in 2018, agency figures show,” quoted
AWI’s Eric Kleiman on the terrible state of the AWA:
“We’ve never seen this kind of attack on the fundamental
tenets of the most basic precepts of a law that has
enjoyed long-standing bipartisan and public support for
over 50 years.”
Subsequently, Eric and AWI’s Sydney Hearst engaged in
a painstaking dive into the records to produce a detailed
analysis encompassing years of USDA inspection citation
data. The department had thrown up a significant
roadblock to this analysis—changing the way it presents
the information on its website and redacting thousands
of licensee names, thus obscuring the data. But our team
cracked the code and exposed the meteoric drop in
citations and concomitant enforcement actions against
AWA scofflaws. Our revelatory analysis provided the
basis for Brulliard’s February 2019 article on the issue,
“The USDA is issuing far fewer citations to zoos, labs and
breeders for animal welfare violations.”
To preserve the integrity of these key laws we also
arranged two meetings—one addressing the AWA and
another on the HPA—between stakeholders and USDA
personnel. At these meetings, attended by the Animal
Care deputy administrator and other Animal Care staff,
we outlined and strenuously protested the specific ways
in which the USDA was failing its mandate to protect
animals under the law.
To further pressure the administration, AWI and allies
worked with legislators to get strong language in a
House-passed funding bill (see Government Affairs
section) directing the USDA to enforce the AWA and
HPA and restore compliance records to its website.
In addition, we campaigned for the PAST Act, a bill to
strengthen HPA oversight. We helped secure more
than 290 cosponsors on the bill—ensuring that it would
proceed to the floor for a vote. (It passed the House
following the close of the fiscal year.)
A N I M A L W E L F A R E A C T + H O R S E P R O T E C T I O N A C T
22
AWI fosters species-appropriate
housing, compassionate care
and handling, and minimization
of fear, distress, and pain for
animals in research. We promote
research methods that reduce
the total number of animals
subject to experimentation.
23
R E F I N E M E N T D A T A B A S E
In July 2018, AWI welcomed a new Laboratory Animal
Advisor, Dr. Joanna Makowska. Joanna has a PhD in
laboratory animal welfare science and is an adjunct
professor in the Animal Welfare Program at the University
of British Columbia.
Once onboard, Joanna took on an extensive updating of
AWI’s Refinement Database. This database, which curates
published scientific articles and books on topics related to
the refinement of housing, husbandry, and care of animals
in research, is a valuable resource for those seeking new
and established strategies to improve the welfare of these
animals. Joanna added more than 800 new entries, for a
total of nearly 7,000 citations.
S C I E N T I F I C M E E T I N G S
At the end of October 2018, AWI’s Cathy Liss, Brittany
Bailey, and Joanna Makowska attended the annual
American Association for Laboratory Animal Science
National Meeting, held in Baltimore, Maryland. This
meeting provides a golden opportunity to promote
better treatment of animals in research. The AWI staff
members attended scientific sessions and hosted an
exhibit showcasing our many publications on refinement
in the care and handling of animals in research. As in
past years, these publication proved popular among the
4,500 meeting attendees from the academic community,
research institutions, government, and industry.
AWI was involved in a number of scientific meetings
in the spring as well. In early April 2019, Joanna gave
a presentation on the welfare benefits of playpens
for animals in research at the Public Responsibility in
Medicine and Research’s Institutional Animal Care and
Use Committee Conference in Bellevue, Washington.
At the end of May, Joanna hosted an AWI exhibit at the
Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science’s
Annual Symposium in Richmond, British Columbia, and
presented her research on welfare-friendly housing for rats
and mice at a scientific session titled “What Can Animals
Tell Us About Animal Care?” The session was sponsored by
the Canadian Council on Animal Care, Canada’s national
organization responsible for setting, maintaining, and
overseeing the implementation of standards for animal care
in science throughout the country. And in early June, Cathy
hosted an AWI exhibit at the 6th Annual Symposium on
Social Housing of Laboratory Animals, held at the National
Agricultural Library in Beltsville, Maryland.
L A R E F
Many valuable online conversations continued on AWI’s
Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum
(LAREF), where animal technicians, animal care personnel,
researchers, veterinarians, and students share their
experiences and exchange information about best animal
care practices. Forum members sought ideas for creative
enrichment for rabbits, macaques, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters,
degu, ferrets, frogs, and sheep. Other topics discussed
this year included best group housing practices for mice,
macaques, and marmosets; play opportunities for pigs and
dogs; housing recommendations for squirrel monkeys and
pigs; standardized training protocols for new personnel; best
handling methods for mice; and strategies for preventing
food competition among pair-housed macaques.
Over the course of this fiscal year, AWI reported on the
results of research projects that received funding via AWI’s
Refinement Grant program:
A research team led by Dr. Brianna Gaskill at Purdue
University sought to determine a “tickling” dosage for rats
24
that is both effective and time-efficient. Rat tickling, a
type of handling that mimics rat play, is known to improve
laboratory rat welfare, but existing protocols are time
consuming and tickling is therefore rarely done in practice.
The results showed that a mere 45 seconds of tickling—15
seconds per day for three days—could improve the welfare
of laboratory rats.
Mr. Bret Tallent and Dr. Jonathan Lifshitz of the University
of Arizona assessed whether adding dividers into standard
male mouse cages reduced aggression (a common
problem among standard-housed laboratory male mice)
and improved other welfare indicators. The study found
that adding partial dividers resulted in reduced aggression
(including fewer bite wounds), lower anxiety, and greater
weight gain. Dividers likely allowed mice to express natural
submissive and escape behaviors, thus de-escalating
aggressive events and improving welfare.
Dr. Angelika Rehrig et al. at the University of Rochester
determined the food preference hierarchies of laboratory
macaques using the Multiple Stimulus without
Replacement preference assessment technique. Laboratory
primates are sometimes trained to volunteer for various
procedures, such as presenting their arm for an injection.
Animals are rewarded for performing the desired behavior
with food items that researchers assume the animals like,
but determining what the animals actually prefer would be
much more effective. The study found that macaques most
preferred yogurt-covered raisins/peanuts and grapes and
were least interested in dried apricots and plain peanuts.
This year, AWI provided a Refinement Grant to Dr.
Rachel Dennis at the University of Maryland, who will
investigate novel environmental enrichment strategies for
laboratory-reared quail in order to improve their welfare.
AWI also provided funding to Dr. Gaskill of Purdue for
her work investigating how to reduce barriers to the
implementation of established animal welfare enhancing
techniques in a laboratory.
While some are studying ways to improve animal welfare
in the laboratory, other research causes much animal
suffering. In the winter 2018 issue of the AWI Quarterly,
we called attention to invasive “risk behavior” research
conducted by Veit Stuphorn of Johns Hopkins University,
and how it was grossly mischaracterized in numerous
press accounts published in September. The news stories
described happy gambling monkeys who voluntarily played
games while sitting in front of computer screens, made
choices using their eyes, and were rewarded with juice
when they won. In reality, these “happy” monkeys were
immobilized in primate chairs with bars inserted into their
ear canals and electrodes into their brains.
Though Stuphorn has repeatedly claimed the monkeys are
“free to choose” by moving their eyes, this is virtually the
only movement they can make because of the extreme
restraint. It is not surprising that the news articles that
followed a university press release failed to report these
facts, because Stuphorn conspicuously failed to mention
the chairing and head restraint in his multiple research
papers funded by the National Institutes of Health.
(Stuphorn has received over 4.9 million in tax dollars—with
an additional NIH grant in 2019—for this highly invasive,
deeply troubling, and ethically questionable research.)
25
26
AWI has been a leader, at both
federal and state levels, in securing
landmark laws aimed at shielding
animals from cruelty and needless
suffering. We work to ensure
diligent enforcement of these laws
and fight efforts to roll back hard-
won animal protections.
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1 1 5 T H C O N G R E S S
One of the final acts of the 115th Congress was to pass the
Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018—the latest version
of the extensive agricultural appropriations package (a.k.a.
the “Farm Bill”) that must be approved every five years or
so. This legislation had significant implications for animal
welfare; particularly worrisome was the fact that several
provisions in the version of the bill that passed the House
of Representatives would have drastically scaled back
animal protections.
AWI was actively engaged throughout the House-Senate
conference committee negotiations. Our efforts—and
the efforts of our members who joined our campaign and
contacted their legislators—to turn back the most harmful
provisions of the House bill were successful; moreover,
we helped ensure that several very positive animal
welfare measures from both House and Senate versions
were included in the final Farm Bill signed into law in late
December 2018.
One particular reason for celebration: a longtime AWI
priority, the Pet and Women Safety (PAWS) Act, was
incorporated into the final bill. The PAWS Act expands
resources to help domestic violence victims find shelter for
themselves and their companion animals, while providing
law enforcement agencies with additional tools to protect
people and pets from abuse. Among other significant
wins, the new law also establishes a nationwide ban on
the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption
and extends the Animal Welfare Act prohibition on animal
fighting to US territories.
The conference committee thankfully rejected an insidious
amendment sponsored by Rep. Steve King (R-IA) that
would have prohibited any state from establishing animal
welfare standards for products sold within its borders that
are stricter than federal or another state’s standards. This
would have upended, in one fell swoop, myriad state animal
protection laws, including state bans on cramped battery
cages for egg-laying hens, tail-docking of cattle, gestation
crates, veal crates, and the sale of dogs from puppy mills.
Rejected language from the House version of the farm
bill also would have weakened oversight of harmful
pesticides and eroded key provisions of the Endangered
Species Act (ESA). A concerted effort to hobble the ESA
and other vital animal protection laws, unfortunately,
persisted throughout the 115th Congress. AWI was
involved in numerous efforts to counter this onslaught.
We helped engineer the defeat of a package of
dangerous bills put forward in the House that would have
made it easier to remove ESA protections from listed
species, deprived citizens of the right to challenge these
actions in court, turned over species protection to state
governments (some of which are openly hostile to wildlife
protection), and even allowed the US Fish and Wildlife
Service to throw out listing petitions when the agency
decided there was a “backlog.” We also helped defeat
similar anti-ESA riders in the 2018 National Defense
Authorization Act.
1 1 6 T H C O N G R E S S
In January 2019, when the 116th Congress was sworn in,
AWI staff members visited the offices of all freshmen
representatives and senators to acquaint them with AWI
and the pressing animal welfare issues before Congress.
We have since worked with legislators on both sides of the
aisle to introduce bills addressing horse slaughter, exotic
pets, circus animals, predator control, shark finning, wildlife
trafficking, bycatch, right whale entanglements, trophy
hunting, and more.
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After the US Forest Service made the shocking
announcement that it planned to round up a thousand wild
horses in California and make them available not only for
adoption (as is traditional), but also for slaughter (which is
unprecedented), we rallied public opposition and worked
with members of Congress to add protections against the
slaughter of wild horses in an appropriations “minibus” (HR
3055) that passed the House in late June 2019.
A number of other AWI-supported measures were
added to HR 3055: Import permits are banned for
elephant and lion trophies from Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and
Zambia. Funding is provided for efforts to protect North
Atlantic right whales from fishing gear entanglements
and prevent sea turtle bycatch. The US Department of
Agriculture is directed to cite all noncompliances by
regulated entities (e.g., dog breeders, zoos, and research
labs) and restore all Animal Welfare Act and Horse
Protection Act inspection and enforcement records to its
website. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is directed to
ensure that state management plans include adequate
protections and enforcement mechanisms for any
species the agency proposes to delist from the ESA—
this is of particular importance as the agency is moving
aggressively to delist gray wolves across the contiguous
48 states. As of the fiscal year’s end, the bill awaited
action in the Senate.
S T A T E L E G I S L A T U R E S
AWI was active in state legislatures and local governments
across the country as well. One big victory concerns a bill—
SB 241, sponsored by Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora)—
we were able to get introduced into the Illinois legislature
to ban the sale of animal-tested cosmetics in the state.
AWI submitted testimony in support of the bill, which
passed the Illinois Senate by a unanimous 53–0 vote
and subsequently passed the House by a vote of 85–25.
Following the end of the fiscal year, it was signed into law
by Governor Pritzker.
We were instrumental in the defeat in the Washington
legislature of an appropriations bill that would have required
the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife to
kill the maximum number of sea lions and other pinnipeds
permissible by federal law. We also helped introduce and
rallied support for bills and city ordinances seeking to
restrict or ban the use of circus animals, the keeping of
exotic pets, wildlife trafficking, the sale of furs, the sale of
foie gras, and cruel trapping and hunting methods.
I N T E R N A T I O N A L
AWI helped secure two huge international legislative
victories for orcas this year: In June 2019, the Canadian
Parliament passed the Ending the Captivity of Whales
and Dolphins Act (S-203) to end the public display of
captive cetaceans in that country. Over the course of
two years, AWI’s Dr. Naomi Rose—who helped draft a
similar groundbreaking law that passed in California in
2016—provided information and exhibits on the issue and
testified in Parliament in favor of the bill, while advising
individual legislators and local activists on strategies to
ensure its passage.
That same month, Ecuador passed a law to prohibit
trade in live cetaceans, meaning the country will remain
dolphinarium-free. Naomi had visited Ecuador in April to
rally support for the measure, giving presentations for the
public at the Universidad Tecnologica Equinoccial and for
legislators in the National Assembly of Ecuador.
29
30
The AWI Quarterly magazine is distributed to over 46,000 individuals
and organizations, including public libraries, deans of medical and
veterinary schools, laboratory technicians, scientists, farmers, teachers,
law enforcement officers, shelters, animal protection organizations,
members of Congress, and AWI members. The following are summaries
of some of the articles featured in the magazine this fiscal year.
31
that enable them to map relationships between chemical structures and toxic properties, pinpoint new compounds on that map, and thereby predict whether a compound is likely to have toxic effects. The algorithm equaled or outperformed the animal tests in six areas that account for nearly 60 percent of all such toxicity tests. This breakthrough has the potential to spare millions of animals from having to endure such testing.
The latest National Beef Quality Audit from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association indicates a need for animal welfare improvements. The audit uncovered evidence that cattle are being transported to slaughter for periods longer than is allowed without rest under the Twenty-Eight Hour Law. Nearly one-quarter of cattle arriving at facilities appear to be lame. An examination of carcasses after slaughter revealed that a significant percentage of cattle arrive at facilities with major bruises—indicative of mishandling and poor processing facility design.
In July, observers at Iceland’s Hvalur fin whaling station noticed that a large whale being dragged up the slipway did
not look like a fin whale—one of the usual targets of Icelandic whalers. This whale was a mottled grayish-blue color and had a dorsal fin of a different size and shape than a fin whale’s. A DNA analysis revealed the whale to be a rare hybrid blue-fin whale. AWI has called on the Icelandic government to report the killing of this hybrid whale as an infraction, and to ensure that products from the hybrid are not processed for export.
The North Carolina General Assembly gave final approval to a bill that restricts nuisance lawsuits against factory farms and other agricultural operations, overriding a veto by Gov. Roy Cooper. The law is a reaction to several lawsuits won by plaintiffs who have been negatively affected by the smell and environmental impact of nearby intensive hog farming operations. Lawmakers paint the law as a victory for local farmers, but in reality the act places profits of large corporations that treat animals and the environment poorly before the interests of ordinary North Carolina citizens and their property rights.
A study by Alyson Andreasen et al., published in the Journal of Wildlife Management earlier this year, examined the fate of cougars caught in steel-jaw leghold traps and lethal snares set for other furbearers, particularly bobcats. The results were grim. Within the study area, mortality as a result of accidental capture in traps was the second highest killer of adult cougars, behind only hunting. The authors called on regulatory oversight agencies to address the traumatic and often deadly impact of nontarget trapping on cougars.
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a wildlife haven that encompasses one of the world’s last remaining intact arctic tundra landscapes. The sanctity of ANWR’s fragile
F A L L 2 0 1 8Volume 67, Number 3
These days, AWI’s Dr. Bill Clark is helping Kenya Wildlife Service pilots get equipment and training to watch over Kenya’s wildlife and dodge poacher gunfire. He’s working with local communities in Senegal to restore habitat and wildlife to the denuded Sahel region. For Clark, these are merely the latest adventures in a colorful career that stretches back decades. It includes a stint as chairman of Interpol’s Wildlife Crimes Group, where he coordinated operations that netted more than 1,000 arrests and tons of ivory and other contraband. Perhaps his finest moment, however, came in 1989, when he authored a successful proposal to list all elephants on CITES Appendix I, effectively ending the legal international trade in elephant ivory.
AWI has been monitoring international exports of farm animals and found that over the last five years, more than 2.2 million farm animals were exported from the United States, about a quarter of them overseas by ship or plane. After several egregious incidents involving numerous animals suffering or dying en route, AWI petitioned the USDA to amend Federal Meat Inspection Act regulations to halt exports of animals who are too young, weak, or sick to travel. The USDA agreed, and the final rule went into effect in February 2016. Since that time, large-scale incidents appear to have been curtailed.
A team of scientists led by Dr. Thomas Hartung of the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing at Johns Hopkins University has developed a computer algorithm that can predict the toxicity of new chemicals better than standard animal tests. The algorithm relies on a database and software the scientists developed
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A new law in Massachusetts strengthens penalties for animal cruelty and makes three other significant changes: (1) It makes animal sexual abuse a new offense. (2) It adds committing an animal cruelty crime, including animal fighting, to the causes for a finding of “dangerousness”—thereby allowing for an order of pretrial detention or release on conditions. (3) It specifically permits personnel of agencies serving children and families, the elderly, and disabled persons to report suspected animal abuse, while conversely designating animal control officers as mandatory reporters of child abuse, elder abuse, and abuse of disabled persons.
The cruel shark fin trade continues to decimate shark populations worldwide. Each year, AWI audits its online list of restaurants serving shark fin. During the 2017 audit, AWI found a Texas restaurant that was serving shark fin soup despite a state ban on such products. We notified Texas wildlife enforcement officials and, subsequently, the restaurant was charged and pleaded guilty to illegally serving shark fin. Officer Michael Stevens, the game warden initially notified by AWI, let the prosecutor know about AWI’s shark fin campaign. This inspired the prosecutor to include, as part of the plea deal, that the restaurant be required to make a donation to AWI for its shark protection work.
With a current population of only 74, southern resident orcas are in crisis. Their primary prey, Chinook salmon, are endangered, and the whales are starving. In March, Washington Governor Jay Inslee created the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Task Force to recommend actions to save the animals. The task force, however, ignoring both science and the public will, recommended the lethal removal of pinnipeds within the Columbia River Basin. It failed to mention the one thing
that would provide the greatest benefit to both orcas and salmon: strategic dam removals along the Lower Snake River.
The Search Dog Foundation and K9 for Warriors are among the nonprofit organizations giving shelter dogs a second chance by training them as working dogs. Such dogs have shown their mettle in many arenas: search and rescue, contraband or explosive detection, conservation, therapy, disability support, and more. One such dog, Ranger, is employed by 360 Communities in Minnesota to provide comfort to victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse as they work with police and courts to recount details of their trauma. For the rescued dogs, the programs provide a path out of the shelter into loving homes and better, more stimulating lives.
In August 2018, AWI filed an amicus curiae brief in support of a New York law restricting trade in ivory and rhinoceros horn. The Art and Antique Dealers League of America is challenging this law as unconstitutional. AWI’s brief set forth four primary reasons for the law: (1) a catastrophic, unprecedented poaching
W I N T E R 2 0 1 8Volume 67, Number 4
The beaver is a “keystone” species, as beaver ponds support thousands of other species. Occasionally though, these ponds flood human properties and cause serious damage. Traditionally, when this has occurred, beavers have been killed and their dams destroyed. The Beaver Institute, an organization that has received financial support from AWI, was established to help nonlethally resolve human conflicts with beavers. The Beaver Institute trains mitigation professionals, provides technical and financial assistance to public and private landowners experiencing beaver conflicts, and works to increase public appreciation of the beaver’s critical role in creating wetland ecosystems.
ecosystems, however, may be coming to an end under the Trump administration. In December 2017, then-secretary of the interior Ryan Zinke proposed to open the coastal plain for oil and gas development. When the administration solicited public input, AWI identified a variety of issues that the agency must consider, including the severe impact on wildlife, climate change, air and water quality, and indigenous communities.
Kaitlyn Gaynor et al., in a study published in Science in June, found that in areas of high human activity, normally diurnal animals are becoming night owls. Animals in such areas were 36 percent more active at night versus day compared to animals in areas where human activity is lower. What remains to be determined is what effect this nocturnal turn will have on the animals themselves and the ecosystems they inhabit, particularly as humans continue encroaching on wildlife habitat.
33
gait in competitions; the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act to close a loophole in current law that bans the making of “crush videos”; and the Shark Fin Sales Elimination Act to prohibit the sale, purchase, and possession of shark fins in the United States.
On March 3, customs officials in the Philippines seized 1,529 live turtles who were found wrapped in duct tape and stuffed inside four suitcases in Manila’s international airport. The suitcases had arrived on a flight from Hong Kong but were discarded before security checks. Officials say the animals were worth about US$87,000 on the black market. Four species were found in the abandoned luggage: red-eared slider turtle, Indian star tortoise, red-footed tortoise, and African spurred tortoise—the latter three classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Dolphinaris Arizona, a swim-with-dolphins facility near Scottsdale, opened with eight dolphins in October 2016. AWI and other groups alerted the proprietors and the public that housing dolphins in the desert was a bad idea—aside from the relentless sun, desert air carries pathogens unfamiliar to dolphins. Our fears were well founded: Four of the dolphins have died and, in late February 2019, the remaining animals were moved to a sea pen (unfortunately, in a polluted bay) at Coral World Ocean Park in the US Virgin Islands. Dolphinaris, meanwhile, shut down its ill-conceived Arizona dolphin feature.
In January, the Healthy Students Amendment Act (HSAA), which incorporates the Good Food Purchasing Program (GFPP), passed into law in Washington, DC. The GFPP calls for participating public institutions to (1) obtain animal products from suppliers whose higher-welfare practices are
crisis, (2) the emergence of ivory trafficking as a massive enterprise dominated by organized crime syndicates, militant groups, and terrorist organizations, (3) the “antique” ivory trade is often used to disguise new ivory from recently killed elephants, and (4) New York plays a prominent role in the US ivory trade.
Three years ago, the National Institutes of Health announced it would no longer support experimentation on chimpanzees and that all its chimps would be eligible for retirement to a sanctuary. At present, 257 are still being held at three research facilities, while these facilities seek to impede the retirement process (and continue receiving funds for the chimps’ care) by labeling some as “at risk” due to infirmity. The NIH is letting an “independent” veterinary panel (actually consisting of NIH personnel) make the final decision on relocation. In fact, there is no evidence that a move would be risky. These poor chimps deserve to be moved with their social groups.
Members of the United Nations have begun negotiations on the first treaty to manage and protect biodiversity in international waters. For the past several years, UN members have wrestled with the issue of high seas governance and have held numerous preliminary negotiations—with AWI participating in several of these sessions. Formal negotiations finally began in September 2018. Some of the key issues debated during a two-week meeting included access to genetic marine resources, the need for robust environmental assessments before engaging in potentially harmful activities, and the creation of marine protected areas.
Group-housing of social species has important animal welfare benefits, but it can also be associated with aggression.
S P R I N G 2 0 1 9Volume 68, Number 1
A recent discussion on AWI’s Laboratory Animal Refinement and Enrichment Forum focused on effective enrichment to improve the lives of rabbits in research. A number of caregivers chimed in concerning which toys and treats get rave reviews from their charges. One person cautioned, “A major factor in enrichment is novelty; rabbits get bored so easily, so make sure you are varying your enrichment categories.” More than one person touted papaya tablets as a favorite food treat. One caregiver indicated that “small cardboard boxes with hay or treats work well; rabbits love to destroy stuff and chew up cardboard.”
A number of bipartisan bills that benefit animals have been introduced in the House of Representatives. Among them are the Pet Safety and Protection Act to protect pets and strays from being sold for use in experimentation by unscrupulous Class B (random source) dealers; the Prevent All Soring Tactics Act to outlaw the practice of intentionally inflicting pain on a horse’s hooves and front limbs to produce an exaggerated
At this year’s meeting of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science, several presentations focused on solving the issue of aggression in group-housed mice. Researchers from Stanford University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences found that aggression is higher in mice housed on corncob bedding compared to aspen chip bedding. Previous research has shown that corncob bedding—which is widely used—is also associated with other welfare concerns, such as lower sleep quality in rats.
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third-party certified and/or (2) replace some percentage of animal products with equivalent plant-based protein. The GFPP has been adopted by several cities and school districts across the nation. AWI staff members testified before the DC City Council in support of the HSAA, and AWI is part of a broad coalition of local and national organizations that worked with the council to get it passed.
There is an urgent need for improved fisheries management to mitigate the growing threat to cetaceans of entanglement in fishing gear. The International Whaling Commission estimates that, globally, some 800 whales, dolphins, and porpoises are trapped in such gear each day. Among the most frequently entangled large whale species are humpback, gray, minke, blue, and North Atlantic right whales—the latter two endangered. Entangled cetaceans can suffer life-threatening injuries and may trail fishing gear for weeks or even months, leading to a slow and agonizing death by starvation or predation.
A federal court has struck down Iowa’s “ag-gag” law. In 2012, the state created
the crime of “agricultural production facility fraud” after several undercover investigations revealed worker cruelty to animals. The incidents included farm workers hurling small piglets onto a concrete floor, beating pigs with metal rods, and abusing hens and chicks. Instead of addressing the conduct of workers, however, the Iowa legislature acted to criminalize the conduct of undercover investigators. But the court found that the law infringed on protected speech. Similar laws have been struck down in Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming.
At the end of 2018, Hawaii became just the second state (after New Jersey) to prohibit the use of exotic animals in traveling shows. Exotic animals exploited by circuses are subjected to nonstop travel in cramped crates, forced to perform unnatural tricks in front of noisy crowds, and trained using abusive methods. A growing list of jurisdictions have taken steps to end this abuse. California and Rhode Island have banned bullhooks, Illinois and New York have banned the use of elephants in traveling shows, and nearly 150 local communities have enacted some version of these prohibitions.
Hardy Jones, who died in December, was a renowned videographer who used his skills behind the camera, along with his warm and kind personality, to introduce the public to the beauty of dolphins and their ocean habitats—as well as to expose those who hurt and exploit them. His work caught the attention of AWI’s founder, Christine Stevens, who agreed to support Hardy’s projects in Japan. With the help of local wildlife conservation organizations in Futo, Japan, Hardy convinced the lead dolphin hunter that dolphins were worth far more to the community alive than dead. The result was an ecotourism project that ended the Futo dolphin hunts in 2002.
S U M M E R 2 0 1 9Volume 68, Number 2
In March 2019, the US Fish and Wildlife Service released a proposed rule to fully delist all gray wolves (Canis lupus) across the contiguous United States except the Mexican wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) in Arizona and New Mexico. The USFWS has already delisted wolves in the northern Rocky Mountain states. In its proposal, the USFWS asserts that the regulatory mechanisms in place at the state level to protect the species and its habitat are sufficient. In reality, in those states where the USFWS has ceded control of wolf populations to state agencies, the pretense of protection has been abandoned in favor of senseless slaughter of wolves in brutal fashion.
To facilitate better information about the co-occurrence of child abuse and animal abuse, US Representatives Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH) and John Katko (R-NY) introduced the Child and Animal Abuse Detection and Reporting Act of 2019. In recognition of the fact that animal abuse is a risk factor for child abuse, the bill
California’s foie gras ban is now in effect for the foreseeable future—a win for ducks, geese, and animal welfare advocates. In an anticlimactic conclusion to years of contentious litigation and debate, the US Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge by foie gras producers and restaurateurs to the ban. The law, enacted in 2004, went into effect in 2012. A district court overturned the ban in 2015, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously reversed in 2017. The Supreme Court’s refusal to take up the case means the Ninth Circuit’s decision upholding the ban is the final word.
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the tribe since the late 1920s. After whale protection groups sued, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2000 that—notwithstanding the quota—the gray whale hunt remained illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). That ruling may soon be nullified, however, if the government grants the tribe’s request for a waiver of the MMPA to permit the hunt to restart. AWI planned to argue against the waiver at an August 2019 National Marine Fisheries Service hearing on the issue.
Mice have a strong preference to nest away from their own waste, and mice in laboratories should be housed in a system of cages that allows them to segregate space into clean and dirty areas, according to work led by researchers at the University of British Columbia. Current standard laboratory housing for mice consists of small, simple cages where mice are in constant contact with their waste. Compared to mice housed in such standard cages, mice housed in the interconnected cages expressed more behavioral indicators of good welfare and were less disturbed by weekly husbandry procedures.
As of mid-May 2019, 48 gray whales had been found dead along the coasts of California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Scientists who examined carcasses think the deaths are likely due to malnourishment caused by a lack of amphipods—tiny shrimp-like crustaceans the whales feed on. Amphipods are being impacted by a decrease in algae as ice retreats in warming Arctic waters, where most Eastern North Pacific gray whales spend their summers feeding.
As companion animals become infirm due to age or illness, we all want to give them the highest quality of life in the time they have left. The Quality of Life Scale, developed by Dr. Alice Villalobos, a renowned veterinary oncologist specializing in the care of terminally ill pets, can help. The scale examines seven key quality of life factors: hurt, hunger, hydration, hygiene, happiness, mobility, and, finally, “more good days than bad.” The scale offers guidance on how best to lovingly care for infirm animals and, importantly, how to read the signs telling us it is time to let go and not prolong their suffering.
A highly coordinated international operation targeting the illegal trade in reptiles has resulted in the largest reptile bust to date. Coordinated by Interpol and Europol, “Operation Blizzard” in April and May 2019 involved law enforcement agencies from 22 countries, including the United States. Some 4,400 live reptiles were seized and 12 arrests have been made thus far out of nearly 200 suspects identified. The live reptiles seized included 20 crocodiles and alligators, 2,700 turtles and tortoises, and 1,500 snakes, lizards, and geckos. Officials also seized a number of live parrots, owls, falcons, and swans, as well as elephant ivory, bush meat, and products derived from reptiles.
provides that information on animal abuse would form a new category in a federal database compiled from reports furnished by state child protection agencies. Weighing this additional factor can help identify opportunities to prevent both child and animal abuse or suggest when more specialized intervention is needed.
AWI helped coordinate and draft letters from an international coalition of whale biologists that urged the Russian government to stop capturing free-ranging orcas in the Sea of Okhotsk for sale to marine parks abroad—particularly in China—and to free dozens of orcas and belugas captured in the summer of 2018 and held since in sea pens that have come to be known as “whale jail” in Nakhodka, in Russia’s Far East. Substantial progress had been made on both these fronts by late 2018, with the Russian government establishing a moratorium on new orca captures and discussing a plan to release the whales currently held.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a report in March 2019 concluding that the red wolf (Canis rufus) is a taxonomically distinct species. In support of this finding, the report (commissioned at the behest of Congress) identified morphological, behavioral, dietary, and genetic differences between red wolves, gray wolves, and coyotes. This finding is a key conservation victory—as those seeking to strip Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections from red wolves have long argued that the animal is a coyote subspecies or a gray wolf–coyote hybrid that does not merit an ESA listing.
In 1999, under a quota the US government obtained from the International Whaling Commission, the Makah Tribe of northwest Washington killed a gray whale—the first killed by
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All meetings held in
Washington, DC, unless
otherwise noted
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AWI staff organized and participated in a Save the Vaquita rally outside the Mexican Embassy; Kate O’Connell met with César Murillo Juárez, secretariat of environment and natural resources, and other embassy officials to discuss measures to protect the vaquita; July 5
Kate O’Connell met with Marine Stewardship Council CEO Rupert Howe and other senior staff to discuss sustainable fishery certification standards with respect to cetacean bycatch and shark finning, and met with Dr. Callum Roberts of the University of York and members of the Make Stewardship Count coalition to discuss strategies for improving the rigor of MSC certification standards; London, UK; July 6–7
D.J. Schubert participated in the 30th meeting of the CITES Animals Committee; Geneva, Switzerland; July 15–22
Joanna Grossman attended the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Legislative Summit to speak with lawmakers about the cruelty inherent in the horse slaughter trade; Los Angeles, CA; July 30–August 2
Joanna Grossman participated in a training and seminar at Days End Farm Horse Rescue on identifying and investigating cases of equine cruelty, abuse, and neglect; Woodbine, MD; August 22–23
Sue Fisher, Kate O’Connell, and D.J. Schubert participated in the 67th meeting of the International Whaling Commission; Florianópolis, Brazil; August 31–September 15
Mary Lou Randour gave a presentation on reporting animal cruelty crimes; Association of State Uniform Crime Reporting Programs Conference; Colorado Springs, CO; September 5–7
Kate Dylewsky and Nancy Blaney attended, and Nancy gave comments at the National Academy of Sciences’ “Assessing the Taxonomic Status of the Red Wolf and the Mexican Gray Wolf” public meeting; September 13
Joanna Grossman helped organize and gave a presentation on federal legislation regarding equine welfare at the Homes for Horses Coalition Conference; Orlando, FL; September 20–23
Sue Fisher and D.J. Schubert participated in the 70th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee; Sochi, Russia; October 1–5
Joanna Grossman gave a presentation before the BLM’s National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board on ways to improve the BLM’s management of wild horses; Salt Lake City, UT; October 11
Mary Lou Randour and Nancy Blaney gave a presentation entitled “The Relationship Between Animal Cruelty and Violence Prevention and Reduction”; International Criminology Conference; October 12
Bill Clark met with Noeline Raondry Rakotoarisoa, chief of the UNESCO Section on Biosphere Reserves, to discuss AWI’s wildlife reintroduction and habitat restoration efforts in Senegal; Paris, France; October 15
AWI board of directors meetings; October 25, 2018; April 12 and June 28, 2019
Joanna Makowska attended scientific sessions and Cathy Liss and Brittany Bailey distributed AWI books and other materials
on improving the housing, handling, and care of animals in research; 69th American Association for Laboratory Animal Science National Meeting; Baltimore, MD; October 28–November 1
Regina Terlau-Benford hosted an AWI booth on humane education; Science Teachers Association of Texas’s Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching; Fort Worth, TX; November 1–3
Dena Jones attended sessions and met with researchers and government officials regarding the most humane slaughter and euthanasia methods for various farm animal species; American Veterinary Medical Association Humane Endings Symposium; Chicago, IL; November 2–4
Mary Lou Randour, Nancy Blaney, and AWI board member Caroline Griffin participated in panel discussions on the link between animal cruelty and human violence and on animal cruelty laws and court decisions; Association of Prosecuting Attorneys’ 8th National Animal Cruelty Prosecution Conference; Louisville, KY; November 7–9
Joanna Grossman participated in the Botstiber Institute’s Free‐-Roaming Horse and Burro Fertility Control Workshop; Albuquerque, NM; November 8
Naomi Rose participated in a panel discussion on captive cetaceans; Performing Animal Welfare Society’s 2018 International Captive Wildlife Conference; Burbank, CA; November 9–11
Naomi Rose gave a lecture on the impacts of captivity on orcas; University of Redlands; Redlands, CA; November 12
Sue Fisher met with officials from the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to discuss Japan’s CITES
2018
compliance issue regarding its sei whale trade; London, UK; November 16
Kate Dylewsky participated in a panel discussion on careers in animal welfare policymaking at George Washington University; November 27
Sue Fisher attended presentations on whaling policy and discussed whaling issues with other NGO representatives; Symposium on Whaling Culture; Osaka, Japan; November 30–December 2
Kate Dylewsky participated in the Good Care to Great Welfare workshop sponsored by the Detroit Zoological Society’s Center for Zoo and Aquarium Animal Welfare and Ethics; Detroit, MI; December 3–7
Joanna Grossman attended the National Conference of State Legislatures’ Capitol Forum to speak with state legislators about the cruelty inherent in the horse slaughter trade; December 5–7
2019
and programs to address the link between animal abuse and domestic violence; February 8
Nancy Blaney and Mary Lou Randour attended the National Sheriffs’ Association Winter Conference; Nancy participated in the NSA’s Animal Cruelty and Abuse Committee inaugural meeting, at which Mary Lou gave a presentation on the importance of recording animal cruelty crimes in the FBI’s NIBRS database; Nancy and Mary Lou participated in a meeting of the National Coalition on Violence Against Animals; February 10
Bill Clark met with John Waithaka, chair of the Kenya Wildlife Service board of trustees, Charles Musyoki, KWS acting director general, and other KWS senior officials to discuss AWI support for ranger training and participation in the Partnership Against Cruel Traps and Snares; coordinated flight safety and proficiency training for KWS Airwing pilots; and spoke at ceremonies for KWS officers and pilots who completed training; Nairobi, Kenya; February 15–26
Kate Dylewsky gave a presentation on the Endangered Species Act and climate change; House of Representatives Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition meeting; February 22
Johanna Hamburger and Kate Dylewsky participated in a panel discussion entitled “Federalism in the Elephant Conservation Context: Federal and State Schemes to Combat the Ivory Trade”; Public Interest Environmental Law Conference; Eugene, OR; February 28–March 3
Cathy Liss, Dena Jones, Nancy Blaney, and Susan Millward hosted a meeting with animal advocates from China as part of the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program; March 5
Nancy Blaney, Mary Lou Randour, and AWI board member Caroline Griffin participated in a meeting of the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys’ Animal Cruelty Advisory Council, which Nancy co-chairs; at this meeting, Caroline Griffin presented the Schweitzer Medal to John Thompson; March 7–8
Naomi Rose gave a presentation to launch the 5th edition of The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity; ITB Berlin travel industry trade conference; Berlin, Germany; March 8
Vicki Deisner (AWI representative) facilitated workshops entitled Cross Reporting for Humane and Human Services: A Species-Spanning Approach to Safer Families and Communities; Nancy Blaney participated in the Columbus workshop; Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo, OH; March 26–29
Naomi Rose gave a presentation on the impacts of captivity on cetaceans; The American Cetacean Society Student Coalition’s “Captivity—A Multidisciplinary Approach” symposium; Madison, WI; March 28
Joanna Makowska staffed an AWI exhibit and gave a presentation on the benefits of using playpens for animals in research; Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research’s 2019 IACUC Conference; Bellevue, WA; April 2–3
Naomi Rose gave presentations on the welfare of dolphins in captivity at the Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial and before the National Assembly; Quito, Ecuador; April 3–4
Naomi Rose participated in a roundtable discussion on the fate of Taiji, the last dolphin at the Seoul Zoo; Seoul, South Korea; April 10
Kate Dylewsky participated in an AWI-cohosted welcome reception on Capitol Hill for the Congressional Animal Protection Caucus; February 7
Mary Lou Randour and Nancy Blaney hosted a meeting for policymakers, researchers, and representatives from domestic violence advocacy groups to discuss next steps for policy, research,
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Regina Terlau-Benford hosted an AWI booth on humane education; National Science Teachers Association National Conference; St. Louis, MO; April 11–13
Johanna Hamburger participated in a panel discussion at Cornell Law School on careers in animal welfare and met with Akua Akyea, Cornell Law School’s assistant dean for public service, to discuss AWI’s internship program; Ithaca, NY; April 12
Erin Thompson participated in a panel discussion on careers in animal law at Georgetown Law School; April 16
Nancy Blaney participated in a panel discussion on animal welfare legal issues and lobbying strategies; Animal Law Committee of the NYC Bar Association’s “Animal Law Lobbying 101: Getting Political for Animals” event; New York, NY; April 18
Cathy Liss, Nancy Blaney, and Kate Dylewsky participated in an AWI-organized meeting between animal protection organizations and Bernadette Juarez, USDA Animal Care deputy administrator, and other Animal Care staff; Riverdale, MD; April 24
Nancy Blaney was the keynote speaker at the Texas Humane Legislation Network’s Laws for Paws symposium; Austin, TX; April 26
Cathy Liss and Nadia Adawi met with Louis Nel, executive director, and Kim Doyle, chief operating officer, of the Global Alliance for Rabies Control regarding rabies control in dogs; April 29
D.J. Schubert and representatives from other animal protection organizations met with staff from the office of Governor Murphy regarding deer hunting and population control legislation; Trenton, NJ; April 30
Naomi Rose participated in the IWC Scientific Committee meeting and served as rapporteur for the Ad Hoc Working Group on Sanctuaries and the Sub-committee on Whalewatching ; Nairobi, Kenya; May 7–22
Dena Jones, Erin Thompson, and Joanna Grossman hosted a meeting on farm animal welfare with EU food safety and animal welfare officials as part of the US State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program; May 16
Joanna Makowska staffed an AWI exhibit and gave a presentation on the housing needs of laboratory rodents; National Meeting of the Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science; Richmond, BC, Canada; May 26–28
Dena Jones attended the 4th annual Dairy Cattle Welfare Symposium; Orlando, FL; May 29
Joanna Grossman participated in the Free Roaming Equids and Ecosystem Sustainability Summit to discuss strategies for improving management of wild horses through effective fertility control; Reno, NV; May 29–31
Dena Jones and Erin Thompson gave presentations on farm animal welfare laws; George Washington University Law School’s 8th Annual DC Week for the Animals Law Night; May 30
Cathy Liss staffed an AWI exhibit at the 6th
Annual Symposium on Social Housing of Laboratory Animals; National Agricultural Library; Beltsville, MD; June 3–4
Susan Millward and Courtney Vail (AWI representative) participated in the 15th Meeting of Contracting Parties to the Cartagena Convention, the 18th Intergovernmental Meeting on the Action
Plan for the Caribbean Environment Programme, and the 10th Meeting of Contracting Parties to the Specially Protected Areas and Wildlife Protocol; Roatán, Honduras; June 3–7
Cathy Liss and Joanna Grossman organized and participated in a stakeholder meeting with Bernadette Juarez, USDA Animal Care deputy administrator, other Animal Care staff, and representatives from animal protection groups, the equine industry, and veterinary organizations to discuss ongoing problems with the USDA’s enforcement of the Horse Protection Act; June 6
Naomi Rose gave public presentations on The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity and Ocean Theme Parks: A Look Inside China’s Growing Captive Cetacean Industry reports; Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, China; June 6–14
Joanna Grossman spoke at a congressional briefing on the Horseracing Integrity Act, a bill to create stringent and uniform drug and testing standards for the horseracing industry; June 13
Mary Lou Randour participated in meetings of the National Coalition on Violence Against Animals and the National Sheriffs’ Association’s Animal Cruelty and Abuse Committee during the NSA Annual Conference; Louisville, KY; June 14–19
Joanna Makowska gave a lecture on “A Good Life for Laboratory Rodents”; Charles River Short Course; Carlsbad, CA; June 24–26
Dena Jones and Erin Thompson met with Agnès Poirier, deputy agricultural counselor at the French Embassy, and gave a presentation on emerging issues in US farm animal welfare; June 27
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S T A T E M E N T O F A C T I V I T I E S + C H A N G E S I N N E T A S S E T S
2019 2018
CHANGES IN UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS:
REVENUES:
Contributions - Foundations and trusts $ 857,076 $ 884,676
- Legacies and bequests 2,258,548 1,689,810
- Memberships and other 1,911,176 1,826,225
- In-kind 28,884 -
Tenants net rental income 93,384 66,605
Sale of publications and reports 1,111 1,627
Dividend income 112,331 90,461
Interest income 27,613 19,785
Realized and unrealized gain (loss) on securities 93,580 444,180
5,383,703 5,023,369
NET ASSETS RELEASED FROM RESTRICTIONS:
Satisfaction of program restrictions:
Marine Mammals 20,500 -
Roger L Stevens Publication Fund 19,140 35,669
Total net assets released from restrictions 39,640 35,669
Total unrestricted revenues and other support 5,423,343 5,059,038
EXPENSES:
Program service 3,766,371 3,264,109
Management and general 297,738 261,446
Fundraising 65,319 54,816
Total expenses 4,129,428 3,580,371
Increase in unrestricted net assets 1,293,915 1,478,667
CHANGES IN TEMPORARILY RESTRICTED NET ASSETS:
Net assets released from restrictions (39,640) (35,669)
Decrease in temporarily restricted net assets (39,640) (35,669)
INCREASE IN NET ASSETS 1,254,275 1,442,998
NET ASSETS - beginning of year 14,810,442 13,367,444
NET ASSETS - end of year $ 16,064,717 $ 14,810,442
Y E A R E N D E D J U N E 3 0 ,
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S T A T E M E N T O F F U N C T I O N A L E X P E N S E S Y E A R E N D E D J U N E 3 0 , 2 0 1 9
PROGRAM SERVICES
MGMT & GENERAL
FUND-RAISING TOTAL
Salaries $ 1,462,307 $ 115,515 $ 26,896 $ 1,604,718
Payroll taxes and unemployment insurance 115,376 9,510 2,102 126,988
Employee benefits 136,058 14,568 2,632 153,258
Retirement Plan 33,311 2,628 610 36,549
Advertising 52,260 455 1,660 54,375
AWI Quarterlies 237,416 - 2,394 239,810
Printing and publications (except for Quarterlies) 108,109 2,222 12,252 122,583
Research, writing, and editing 30,364 - - 30,364
Grants 500,009 - - 500,009
Conferences, meetings, and travel 211,399 751 80 212,230
Postage, mailing, and addressing costs (except for Quarterlies) 64,739 1,291 2,632 68,662
Telephone, duplicating, and office supplies 61,943 13,551 104 75,598
Professional services 164,356 28,962 - 193,318
Memberships and subscriptions 42,605 11,292 400 54,297
Consultants 354,488 - - 354,488
Internet services 56,276 271 12,424 68,971
Schweitzer Award 5,293 - - 5,293
Occupancy costs 65,501 37,412 416 103,329
Bank fees - 52,854 - 52,854
Total expenses before depreciation 3,701,810 291,282 64,602 4,057,694
Depreciation 64,561 6,456 717 71,734
Total expenses $ 3,766,371 $ 297,738 $ 65,319 $ 4,129,428
A complete financial statement audited by Marks Paneth LLP, Certified Public Accountants, is available from AWI and upon written request from the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Business and Professional Licensing Administration, Corporations Division, P.O. Box 92300, Washington, DC 20090
F O U N D E R
Christine Stevens
D I R E C T O R S
Cynthia Wilson, Chair
Jill Carey, CPA
Caroline A. Griffin, Esq.
Mary Lee Jensvold, PhD
Cathy Liss
Chris Miller, DVM
O F F I C E R S
Cathy Liss, President
Cynthia Wilson, Vice President
Jill Carey, CPA, Treasurer
Caroline Griffin, Esq., Secretary
I N T E R N A T I O N A L C O M M I T T E E
Aline S. de Aluja, DVM, Mexico
Ambassador Tabarak Husain, Bangladesh
Angela King, United Kingdom
Agnes Van Volkenburgh, DVM, Poland
S C I E N T I F I C C O M M I T T E E
Gerard Bertrand, PhD
Roger Fouts, PhD
Roger Payne, PhD
Samuel Peacock, MD
Viktor Reinhardt, DVM, PhD
Robert Schmidt, PhD
John Walsh, MD
S T A F F + C O N S U L T A N T SNadia Adawi, Esq.
Executive Director/General Counsel
Alexandra Alberg Senior Graphic Designer
Brittany Bailey Website and Communications Manager
Nancy Blaney Director, Government Affairs
Bill Clark, PhD International Wildlife Program Specialist
Kate Dylewsky Senior Policy Advisor
Sue Fisher Marine Animal Consultant
Marjorie Fishman Public Relations Manager
Haley Frevert Membership Coordinator
Joanna Grossman, PhD Equine Program Manager
Johanna Hamburger, Esq. Wildlife Attorney
Sydney Hearst Communications Coordinator
Dena Jones Director, Farm Animal Program
Eric Kleiman Researcher
Joanna Makowska, PhD Laboratory Animal Advisor
Susan Millward Director, Marine Animal Program
Kate O’Connell Marine Animal Consultant
Mary Lou Randour, PhD Senior Advisor, Animal Cruelty Program
Naomi Rose, PhD Marine Mammal Scientist
D.J. Schubert Wildlife Biologist
Regina Terlau-Benford Executive Assistant
Erin Thompson, Esq. Staff Attorney, Farm Animal Program
Dave Tilford Writer/Editor
B E Q U E S T SIf you would like to help assure AWI’s future through a provision in your will, this general
form of bequest is suggested:
I give, devise and bequeath to the Animal Welfare Institute, located in Washington, DC,
the sum of $ and/or (specifically described property).
Donations to AWI, a not-for-profit corporation exempt under Internal Revenue Code Section
501(c)(3), are tax-deductible (FEIN: 13-5655952). We welcome any inquiries you may have. In
cases in which you have specific wishes about the disposition of your bequest, we suggest you
discuss such provisions with your attorney.
A N I M A L W E L F A R E I N S T I T U T E
900 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003www.awionline.org (202) 337-2332
@animalwelfareinstitute @AWIonline @AWIonline
P H O T O C R E D I T S
cow: Faba-Photograhpy / bears: Marco Secchi / dog: Rodion Kutsaev / dolphins: Rugli G / belugas: David Merron Photography /
frog: Irene Mei / pig: Ryan J Lane / chicken: Mike Suarez / red wolf: Sonya Lang / Red-tailed hawk: Donya Nedomam / cat: Aaron Amat /
horse: Helena Lopes / dog: bpretorius / marmoset: generacionx / hamster: Zevei Wenhui / ocelot: Leonardo Prest Mercon Ro / sea turtle:
Adolfo Felix / giraffes: W L Davies / horses: LifeJourneys / cow: Jim Schemel / giraffes: Philippe Moes-Minden Pictures /
cat: Seven Song / raccoon: Zdenek Machace / elephants: Josh Muller
A N I M A L W E L F A R E I N S T I T U T Ewww.awionl ine.org